Your first step (if you haven’t done so already) is to find out if and where you’re loved one wants their funeral to be held. Ask you’re loved one if they are still living, whether or not he wants to be cremated and/or where he wants to be buried. Then go to the funeral home in your area and find out the prices on everything from the service to the casket (or prices for the cremation process) and flower arrangements. The funeral home has done this many times and will know everything you will need and should be able to give you a breakdown of the prices, and may even have a payment plan. The only “precaution” you can take is saving money. Funeral costs depend upon what type of services you use. The least expensive is cremation with ashes returned to the family in a paper box. The most expensive includes a wake, church service, casket, plot, and headstone.

The costs vary based upon your location. You really need to research this in your own area based upon what your family wants included. The cost of a funeral in a typical U.S. city might look like this:

Body pickup, body preparation, funeral home facilities — $1,000

Mid-quality casket — $2,000

Wake, 2 viewings over course of 1 day — $500

Vehicles, pall bearers, church service, graveside service — $1,000

Single grave — $2,500

Concrete grave liner — $500

Opening/closing grave — $500

Concrete base for tombstone — $500

Inscribed standing tombstone — $2,000

TOTAL = $9,500